"Who are you getting to babysit me while you go hunting?" Mori says once they return to the cabin. They are the first words she's spoken since she entered the cave.

"Mori," Nocturne tries to speak but Mori just looks at him with a blank face and he changes what he's going to say.

"I don't know. Both Jerus and Terrance have other duties tonight." Mori just nods her head and goes to fix her dinner. She looks over the choices available and shudders. Human food just doesn't sound good to her. She decides not to eat after all and heads back outside.

"Mori, would you like to go to the cafe instead?" Nocturne tries to caress her cheek, but she turns her head away so his hand lands on her hair instead.

"I can get someone at the cafe like last time. That way I won't have to leave you." Nocturne offers.

"Whatever, do what you want to do. That's what you'll do anyway." Mori replies tonelessly. She refuses to look at Nocturne. She hasn't forgotten or forgiven him yet. She doesn't deserve to be hit and she no longer trusts a word Nocturne tells her.

"Mori, I'm sorry. How can I make things right? I don't know what to do." Nocturne says frustrated and angry. Before he hit her things were going better than they'd ever been before for him. Now, things are worse than ever between him and Mori.

"I have to take whatever you deem fit Nocturne. That's the law. You choose to hit me, I have to take the hit. You decide to kill me I can't even defend myself. You choose to do whatever you wish and I have no rights." Her voice remains emotionless.

"I'm ordering you to tell me what I can do to make things right between us Mori. I don't want you being like this with me." Nocturne tries again he's getting desperate, he's afraid that the damn law is going to make him lose Mori and her love.

The realization hits him, he wants her love. He's never wanted any woman's love before, but he wants hers. It's not just that twice damned bond although he doesn't hate the bond since it means that she can't avoid things. And it gives him an excuse to be with her. Something he's hid behind more than once already.

"Please Mori." His voice softens as he actually pleads with her.

Finally Mori speaks. "I don't know how to unbreak a broken promise or how to undo a hit that's been done. I just don't know.

"What I do know is once someone hits someone, they do it again. This won't be a one time thing. You'll lose your temper and I'll be nearby and you'll hit me again. This is something I know Nocturne. You are brought up in an atmosphere where you don't need self control. You are the king and the more cruel and malicious you are the better as far as other vampire's are concerned. So yeah, you'll hit me again and that time you might actually cause more than bruising and a little fracture. With your strength there will likely be broken bones in more than one place.

"Vampires aren't known for keeping their promises so that came as no great surprise. But even more than the broken promise is the broken trust. I don't trust easy and I trusted you, a stupid move on my part obviously. Earning my trust again well that won't be easy, if it's even possible. And that is something that not even the damn laws can force me to do. I may have no rights, but not even you can force me to feel something I don't." Mori angrily wipes her tears away. She hates it when she actually breaks down and the tears fall even though she doesn't want them too.

Nocturne grabs her and pulls her into his arms. Other than flinching she doesn't fight him and just lets him hold her. "I'm so sorry Mori, and you're right. I lost your trust and quite frankly I don't blame you for not wanting to trust me. You've seen a taste of my dark side. When I indulge myself like I did the other day it's hard for me to resume my civilized side. I allowed my anger to rule me and you did nothing to merit the slap I gave you. And there are still others I need to find and punish. Every time I come back from punishing traitors you will not be safe until I'm able to get myself under control. Like you said it isn't something that is valued among my people and so I haven't really developed it, but for you I'll try."

Mori doesn't say anything. There is nothing to say after all. Words are cheap and actions speak louder than words. But when the vampire king tells you he's going to try something you can't tell him he's full of bullshit either, although she longs to do so. She just stands there unresisting in his arms and the tears continue to fall.

Finally Nocturne pulls away from her. He's disappointed that she didn't return his hug, but at least she allowed it. "Wash up and I'll take you to the diner. Eat your human food and I'll eat mine and when we return I'll feed you. Since you might want a lot I'll have a human follow us back here so I won't have to leave again to go hunting." Nocturne tells her wiping away some tears.

Mori simply turns to the bathroom and turns on the cold water to wash her face. As she does so she feels her clothes being changed. She looks down. Apparently Nocturne wishes her to wear silk and linen tonight.

"Do you like the clothes?"Nocturne asks uncertainly from the doorway.

"Does it matter? I've never had linen and they'll likely be ruined before the end of the night. The silk blouse is pretty enough but again it's likely to get ruined tonight." Mori says shrugging.

A fleeting emotion crosses Nocturne's face too quickly for Mori to read, but she expects it either is disappointment or frustration at her response. "Then I'll get you some other clothes to replace them. You need nicer things Mori."

"Why? Out here," she swings her arm around to indicate the cabin and it's environs, "clothes like this won't last a day. I don't live in a city, I don't take a life of ease. I'm not rich Nocturne, and even though I know you are, that's you not me."

She walks past him to the cabin door, she waits for him to join her. "You are my wife, my queen. My money is yours. That makes you rich and you need to start dressing as befits your station."

"My station?" Mori gives a silent bitter laugh at that. "When Your children are born I'll likely die. And if by some miracle I don't what are you going to do with me Nocturne? You'll resume your former life while I sit at one of your fancy estates? Or will you let me stay here where I belong? I don't belong in your world and already others have shown just how out of place I am there. Wearing fancy clothes won't change that, won't change who I am."

Mori's words hit Nocturne hard. Harder than she knows because he hides it well, but the truth hits home. Just what will he do once she has the children? She's already seen more of his dark side than he wishes for her to see. To take her to court would be inviting her to witness it first hand nearly everyday. He doesn't want her corrupted like that, but he doesn't want to leave her side either.

He doesn't say anything as he joins her at the door. "Let's go." He opens the door and escorts her out.

By now the workers at the diner know what Mori is likely to order so the waitress just asks her if she would like the usual and Mori nods. While they wait a woman catches Nocturne's eye and smiles in invitation. Nocturne smiles back and commands her to join them. He doesn't notice the tightening of Mori's mouth in distaste, but even if he had he would have ignored it.

The waitress wastes no time in bringing Mori's dinner over to their table. "Should I bring her meal here or will she be returning to her table?" The waitress asks.

"She'll be returning shortly, thank you. Make sure her bill is added to mine and give her a glass of juice as well." Nocturne instructs and the waitress nods before leaving.

"It's almost as bad hearing her moans as if you are having sex as it would be if you left me to go hunting." Mori says but once more it's the smell of the woman's blood that makes her able to eat the human food before her.

"Perhaps, love, but you seem to eat the human food better when you smell their blood. I've never heard of anything like this before. It's almost like you are becoming one of us." Nocturne says conversationally before returning to his meal. He hopes the human ordered a large meal because he's more than a little hungry.

"The stories say that humans can become one of you by drinking your blood." Mori says telling him the truth as she sees it.

"Humans have never been made into vampires. I don't think it's even possible. But humans gain a craving for our blood when they've had it. Like a drug that's why we limit those we give our blood to. Otherwise our food might decide to rise up and hunt us for our blood." Nocturne says it in jest but it's the truth, humans might be the inferior species but there are a damn lot of them and if they all decided to turn against the vampires they could do a lot of damage before being brought under control again.

"You keep going and you're going to kill her. She's not from here, so technically she's not under my protection. Or whatever it is you call it." Mori says in a clinical way. She's curious what Nocturne will do under these circumstances.

Nocturne feels how faint her heart beat has become and releases the woman immediately and curses under his breath. "Every one in this valley comes under your protection Mori. Whether they live here or are just passing through. But this one," know that he knows to look he sees it, a faint marking denoting who she belongs to. He smiles, but it's something odd almost twisted. "This one is a long way from home." He says stroking her hair. "She's from my main estate."

"So what does that mean for her?" Mori asks now genuinely interested.

"She's mine to do with as I wish." Nocturne continues stroking the girl's hair. He looks up at Mori, "But, I must ask your permission before I can kill her since she now falls under your protection. You must decide quickly, I took too much of her blood and..."

"So if I tell you to go ahead you'd finish her off?" Nocturne nods. "What if I tell you to not kill her?" Mori is now fascinated.

"I'll heal her." Is all he will say. Mori looks a question, but refuses to ask. Nocturne answers it anyway, "I'll give her of my blood just like I do you. But not as much and we'll have to take her back to the cabin with us if you decide on that. And I'll have to bring another human as well since she'll be taking some of the blood you need." It's obvious from his voice which answer he wants her to give.

A man returns to the other table at that time and starts looking for the missing woman. Mori smiles, "Well Nocturne looks like we'll be having company tonight. I wonder if he is one of yours as well?"

Nocturne hides his dissatisfaction at this outcome but he had given Mori the choice. When the man comes over Nocturne catches his eyes. "Join us." A simple command and the man sits next to Mori without a word.

Nocturne then slices his wrist and places it over the woman's mouth. Mori finds herself ready to rip the woman away from Nocturne but is unable to leave the bench since the man now blocks her. After a few minutes the woman regains consciousness. She smiles up at Nocturne and puts her hand on his chest.

Mori growls low in warning which has Nocturne turning to her sharply. What he sees has him widening his eyes and pushing the woman back from him. He orders her to stay back and not touch him and although the woman is disappointed she obeys.

Nocturne turns to the man. "You two are far from home. What brings you here?"

"We are on our honeymoon and I have relatives in this area. I thought this might be a good place to come to get away from it all. Have we broken some rule Lord? If so I beg you to forgive us."

Nocturne looks at him with a blank face. "Has he Nocturne?" Mori demands when Nocturne doesn't turn away from his staring at the man.

Now it's the man's turn to stare, at Mori. A human dares demand an answer from a vampire Lord?

"Mori." Nocturne says in warning. Mori merely raises one eyebrow. Nocturne takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Then he turns back to the man. "No. Traveling between vampire territories is far easier for humans than it is for vampires. But then, we know and can talk to the vampire ahead of time. For a human to do so would make it so we wouldn't have time for anything else. You humans don't stay in place for very long. However, moving to another vampire's territory does require permission from your Lord and the Lord whose territory you will be moving to. Our marks must change to that of the proper Lord."

"Nocturne." Mori says in warning. Nocturne turns to her again. Mori's eyes have narrowed and he realizes that he's clenching his fists and the human male has turned white.

"What do you wish me to do Mori? He's under your protection now." Nocturne asks politely although the man's blood is calling he's still not satisfied and he still has to feed Mori.

"You can't kill him. And I won't have you carry her. Let him carry her to the cabin. They can sleep on the trundle bed or something." Mori replies as she watches Nocturne narrowly. "You will let them return to their honeymoon tomorrow."

The man's eyes widen at the female giving a Lord orders. He's even more shocked at Nocturne's response.

"Very well Mori, but lack of privacy isn't going to stop anything." Nocturne warns.

Mori still has her eyes narrowed but now she allows a smile. The human becomes nervous looking at it and her then back to Nocturne and wishes they'd never stopped to visit his aunt.

"Get their meals and bring them over here. If they are cold get them new ones to go and bring juice for both of them now. Then bring me the check." Nocturne orders the waitress after gesturing for her.

"Yes, sir." The waitress says wide eyed, the tension is horrible and she wants nothing to do with whatever situation Mori is in the middle of. But if she is fighting with one of the vampires then things might go badly for them all. The rumor is that the vampire gave Mori this valley and if something happens to Mori then they are all in trouble.